23 Oct 2024

With two to three years of formal education, Dr Johnson Motshwarakgole's academic path is notably brief yet impactful. Growing up in underprivileged family, he began working as a gardener at 13 for a woman named Anderson, a typist for one of the first permanent secretaries, Mr Mokwadi Kgopo.

Today, his house stands next to Anderson's former residence in Village, Gaborone.

In 1971, just a year later, he secured a position with the government as a field assistant, which took him to various locations across Botswana.

Always on the lookout for opportunities, he earned his driver's license at 17, which allowed him to transition into a driving role.

Fast forward to October 17 this year, he was honoured with a Doctor of Letters (DLitt) during the University of Botswana's (UB) 42nd graduation ceremony, acknowledging his significant contributions to the labour movement, humanities and social sciences.

In a reflective interview with BOPA, 70-year-old Dr Motshwarakgole speaks on his journey and the recognition that came as a surprise to him.

Ga ke itse go itumela, mme ke leboga thata (I struggle to express my emotions when Im excited, but I am truly grateful), he said, adding that he was unsure how UB selected him, as he had not worked closely with the institution aside from engagements related to workers rights, like salary negotiations.

His only contribution was the R10 he donated towards building the university in 1976, as that was all he could afford, despite others donating herds of cattle.

Rewinding back to the 1970's, he recounted his long journey to success, earning just 63 cents a day as a field assistant (Botswana was still in the Rand Monetary Area before introduction of its own currency).

A salary review chaired by an official from Kenya brought some change, with a subsequent review under former cabinet minister Lemme Makgekgenene ordered by then-President Sir Seretse Khama, setting the minimum wage at R2 a day.

By then, I felt like a rich man earning R2.63 per day,he recalled, adding that a subsistence allowance of 5 cents a night and R6 for his superiors was introduced but his was rarely paid due to insufficient funds.

The struggles did not stop there, as he shared how drivers were not permitted to stay in hotels and women cleaners lost their jobs when they went on maternity leave.

These workplace disparities led to the formation of the Manual Workers Union, where Dr Motshwarakgole became an executive committee member, advocating for workers rights and mediating disputes.

His advocacy work took him across the country, but he often faced discrimination, such as travelling in uncomfortable conditions while his colleagues rode in first class, as he was relegated to fourth class in the passenger train.

Ke gakologelwa ke palame terena re ya Francistown go le letlhafula, o mongwe o tlaa bo a tla ka kgetsi ya magapu a go pitlaganya, fa o santse o re o pitlagane o mongwe kafa o go kgoba ka ngatla ya ntshe(I recall one trip to Francistown in autumn, where passengers would carry their harvests, making travel uncomfortable, he reminisced.

However, Dr Ponatshego Kedikilwe, the then director of Personnel later addressed his treatment, leading to his first hotel stay, where he left the room spotlessly clean.

By 1971, he was a leader in the union's central committee and in 1980, the union offered him a paid position, although it relied on member monthly subscriptions.

Dr Motshwarakgole explained that he relied on a R200 salary, though it was often unreliable, as members brought their subscriptions of 25 cents to the office in person.

Dr Motshwarakgole then embarked on a journey across the country, educating workers about their rights and resolving disputes before selling his union to recruit new members.

Through collective efforts, his dream became a reality, having served the union for over five decades, it now boasts approximately 40 000 members.

The septuagenarian explained that due to his age, he opted for voluntary retirement as head of the union, but instead of letting him go, the union created a consultancy position for him, which he currently holds.

His journey has been inspired by trade unionists like Maswe Monale, Edwin Setlhare, who worked for the Rhodesian Railway and Rex Ndzinge, who chaired the manual workers’ union in Zimbabwe.

Among his many achievements, the veteran unionist takes pride in the valuable lessons learned throughout his journey, which helped him develop resilience.

Notably, he made important contributions to various national commissions and was instrumental in the reinstatement of workers during the 2011 public service strike.

Dr Motshwarakgole stressed that unionism does not equate to being anti-government as there are times when unions need government support.

As his journey continues, he remains hopeful for clearer workers rights to be enshrined in the constitution, demonstrating that the path from gardener to doctor can inspire meaningful change beyond oneself. Ends